The mutation was found in a sample taken from a patient in Turkey and could "signify the virus is trying different things to see if it can more easily infect humans," said World Health Organization spokeswoman Maria Cheng. "So far, we haven't seen that the virus has the ability to do this. But it's important that we continue monitoring."

As it is normal for flu viruses to mutate, and it is possible for mutations to lead to increased rates of transmission with decreased virulence, there is no need for increased alarm.

"If we started to see a lot more samples from Turkey with this mutation and saw the virus changing, we'd be more concerned," Cheng said.

"For us to assign public health significance to a genetic change we need to match it to what is happening epidemiologically -- how the virus is behaving -- and clinically -- if it's more or less virulent.

"We would be concerned if we were seeing successive generations of spread of the virus. We haven't so far. All these people (who have been infected) had a very clear history of contact with diseased birds."

Meanwhile:

-- The WHO Saturday confirmed that the deaths of two Indonesian children were a result of bird flu, bringing the country's death toll for the disease to 14.

The siblings from West Java, a 4-year-old boy and his 13-year-old sister, died in hospital last week. Their father is believed to be undergoing treatment for avian influenza.

-- China announced its 10th confirmed case of avian flu in humans Monday.

The 29-year-old woman from Jinhua who ran a stall in a farm goods market fell ill Jan. 12 and is currently in critical condition in a Sichuan hospital.

H5N1 confirmation was made by local and national authorities, but the WHO has yet to corroborate the diagnosis.

-- China's eighth human avian-influenza sufferer is said to be recovering.

The 6-year-old boy who suffered severe damage to both lungs and was using an assisted breathing apparatus is now said to be breathing unaided and walking around.

The boy first reported flu-like symptoms Dec. 24 and was confirmed as having H5N1 on Jan. 9.

-- Two Turkish toddlers who had been hospitalized with avian influenza were released Sunday, and a third child is said to be improving.

-- A French woman who fell ill and was hospitalized after returning from a trip to Turkey was not infected with avian influenza, it was confirmed on Sunday.

The woman was tested for H5N1 as a precautionary measure, for while she had been traveling in non-affected regions, she experienced flu-like symptoms upon her return from a country known to have suffered a number of outbreaks in recent weeks.

-- Seven Turkish poultry suppliers distributed free cooked poultry in Batman in an effort to boost poultry sales in the wake of the recent avian-flu outbreaks in the country.

Crowds of Turks filled Meydan Square Sunday, eating the free food.

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